FIC: "Prisoner 1783" (2/?) by g0shawk - PG13 - Shawn/Lassiter
Title: Prisoner 1783 (2/?)
Author: g0shawk
Fandom: Psych
Rating: PG13
Characters: Shawn, Lassiter, Jules, Gus, Buzz, Chief Vick, Henry
Pairing: Shawn/Lassiter
Summary: A serial killer is released, and there's an Easter egg hunt at the SBPD. What could go wrong?
Disclaimer: I don't own Psych or its characters, etc.
Notes: This is 3rd in the Unexpected series. Previous stories: Unexpected Valentine and St. Patrick's Day.
Chapter 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bartender didn’t bother to glance up as the door opened and closed with a slight jangle. “What’ll it be?” he asked disinterestedly.
“Whiskey,” the man responded, sitting at the counter.
When the bartender handed him the glass, the man lifted it in a toast, saying, “Cheers.”
“What for?”
“Hmm, what for? Let’s say to life in general; the unexpected surprises it brings.”
Eyeing him sharply, the bartender said, “You just get out of the big house?”
The man didn’t seem surprised by his question. “Yeah, after four years.”
“Congratulations.”
“You have no idea.”
The bartender gestured to the empty bar. “Not much going on here.”
Something about the man’s answering chuckle caused the bartender to shiver.
“Well, Clint,” he said, peering at the bartender’s nametag. “Since you asked so straightforwardly, I’ll tell you a little more.”
Clint felt himself bristle at the jibe in the man’s voice, but he stayed silent, listening.
“I was not supposed to get out. Seven life sentences with no chance of parole, but, somehow, here I am…legally.”
“Seven life sentences?” Clint whistled.
The man grinned, and downed the rest of his drink.
As Clint filled the glass again for him, the weather report started on the TV, and both men turned to watch.
“It’s a beautiful Easter morning, but enjoy it while you can because---”
“Great,” Clint muttered over the woman speaking. “More rain.”
“I like rain,” the man said lazily. “Good for covering tracks.”
Clint merely grumbled in return, used to having shady characters frequent his bar.
“Who’s that?”
Following his gaze, Clint found it settled on a photograph of a young girl, pinned up on the wall. “That’s my daughter, Sara.”
“Cute.”
Clint froze. There was something in his voice…
“I’d love to meet her,” the man continued in the same tone.
“What did you say you were in for?” Clint asked carefully.
“I didn’t,” he responded, but the answer was written in his eyes.
Clint’s face hardened. “Get out.”
“Excuse me?”
Dropping the towel he had been holding, Clint leaned forward over the counter and said threateningly, “Leave. NOW.”
The man’s eyes met his intelligently.
“Very well.” Standing up, he reached back for his wallet.
“Don’t bother,” Clint gritted. “I don’t want your money.”
Very deliberately, the man opened his wallet, pulled out a few bills, and placed them next to his glass.
Clint clenched his hands into fists.
“Thank you for your service,” the man said mockingly.
Before Clint could reply, he had turned and walked out the door.
“Scum,” the bartender muttered after him.
-------------------
Still at the bush, Shawn and Lassiter turned around as they heard the Chief call them.
“Chief!” Shawn said, interrupting. “I’m getting a very strong reading off of this basket. The spirits are telling me it’s Annie’s-” He stopped, seeing her expression.
“I’m sorry, you’re off the case,” she told them.
“What? Why?” Lassiter exclaimed.
“Carlton, this is a missing persons case. It’s out of our hands.”
“But Chief! It all started here, and if Joe Warren is involved…”
“I know you feel responsible, “ she said quietly. “But you know the protocol. We have to hand it over.”
“What about Shawn?” Lassiter added desperately. “He’s better than any search dog or computer…”
Vick raised her eyebrows. “You’re endorsing him now?”
“I can’t just let this go, Karen. I know he can help.”
She sighed indecisively. “Fine, but you’re on your own. I can’t help you, and if they ask me, I had no idea you were doing this.”
When Lassiter opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand, stopping him.
“Also, if you do find anything helpful, report it. We can’t afford to make mistakes at this point; our top priority is getting Annie back safely.”
Lassiter and Shawn nodded together in agreement. As Vick walked back up to the station, they watched her in silence. The second she disappeared from view, Shawn turned to Lassiter and threw his arms around him. Lassiter staggered backwards a few steps from the impact, lifting his arms out of the way. Recovering, he let his hands settle around Shawn, and he returned the hug. After a moment, he asked, “What’s this for?”
Still holding him tightly, Shawn said, “Just for being you.”
Lassiter smiled, resting his chin on top of Shawn’s head. “Thanks.”
Shawn snuggled closer in response.
“We should get back to work,” Lassiter sighed regretfully.
“M-kay,” Shawn mumbled.
Lassiter waited. “Shawn?”
“Mhmm?”
“Shawn.”
The younger man didn’t move. Lassiter lifted his arms again. When nothing changed, Lassiter muttered, “Alright, you asked for it.” Sneaking a hand down, he jabbed Shawn’s side with his finger.
“Gah!” Shawn shouted, leaping back. He mock-glared at Lassiter. “That tickled!”
“Oh, really?” Lassiter said innocently. “Sorry.”
“If you wanted me to let go, all you had to do was ask.”
“Well, I’ll remember that next time…maybe.”
Huffing, Shawn stalked off indignantly towards the road.
Lassiter grinned. “Where are you going?”
“I’m following an astral trail!” Shawn yelled back.
The older man rolled his eyes.
“I saw that!”
-----------------
“Who are they?” Gus asked, nudging Juliet.
She turned in her chair to look just as a group of people in suits walked by, carrying various pieces of equipment. “Oh, it must be the FBI. I guess they’re here to take over.”
“Take over? Why?”
Juliet sighed. “We can’t deal with missing people unless it’s directly related to a homicide case, and even then we have to call them. Since Joe Warren was released legally, we have no say.”
“Who is Joe Warren, exactly? I’ve heard some people talking, but I don’t know much.”
“Well, I actually only know what I’ve heard, too. I was still in Miami when he came into the picture. Apparently, he’s a serial killer who dealt exclusively with children.” She made a face. “Anyway, he managed to elude the police for months, until someone saw him and called in. Nearly every officer here went to get him, and they ended up cornering him in a warehouse only a couple of blocks from here, near where he lived. He received seven life sentences, though he probably killed more than that; the prosecution offered him a deal if he would tell them the names of all his victims, but he didn’t take it. David Marshak was actually the prosecutor who helped convict him.”
“Dang,” Gus said, wide-eyed. “The missing girl’s father is the one that put him in jail?”
“Yeah,” she affirmed.
Gus shook his head in amazement. “No wonder everyone’s so worried.”
Juliet agreed, and stood up from her desk. “Can you help me with these?” she asked, gesturing to two large boxes of papers.
“Sure.”
Picking up a box each, they headed down the hallway. As they passed the Chief’s office, Gus paused momentarily, looking at the group of people inside.
“Gus?” When she saw that he was no longer following her, Juliet backtracked to join him.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” he said curiously.
Juliet watched with him, wondering the same thing. “They’re probably deciding what to do about Annie and Warren.”
“Have they put out an AMBER Alert?”
“I don’t think so…at least, not yet. They could be discussing that.”
Interested, Gus turned back to her. “How does that work? Are there some sort of conditions, or is it just used any time there’s a missing kid?”
“Finally, a question I can answer,” Juliet grinned at him.
He smiled sheepishly back at her.
“Alright,” she started. “There are four basic guidelines set by the Department of Justice.” Adjusting her grip on the box, she tilted her head in the direction they had been going. As they began to walk again, she continued, “First, we have to confirm that an abduction has taken place.”
“That makes sense,” Gus said. “We’ve done that, right?”
Juliet nodded. “We searched around the station, and we know she isn’t with family or friends. Second, the child has to be 17 years old or younger. Third, there has to be sufficient descriptive information of the child, the captor, or the captor’s vehicle-”
Gus laughed, distracting her.
“What?” she asked.
“You sound like you memorized the manual.” Seeing her expression, he said, “Wait, you--oh.” He tried to keep a straight face, but failed and broke out laughing again.
Juliet squinted her eyes at him threateningly. “If I weren’t holding this I would smack you.”
“Sorry. So, what’s the fourth?” When she hesitated, he prompted, “Juliet?”
“The-” she took a deep breath. “The fourth is…the child must be at risk of…serious injury or-or death.”
Arriving at the file room, they stood silently for a moment. Gus opened the door and set down his box. “Do you think she’ll be okay?” he inquired solemnly.
Juliet filed the box away, and then did the same for the one Gus had carried in. Turning back, she said sadly, “I don’t know. There’s usually a 48-hour window, but in this case…”
Crossing over to her, Gus took hold of her hands. “If there’s anything I can do to help-”
She smiled gratefully at him. “I don’t think-wait!”
“What?” he asked, surprised.
“Shawn! Shawn could help!” she said excitedly. “He could sense her or something!”
Gus’ face fell. “Uh…”
Not noticing his reaction, she started pulling him out the door. “We have to find him!”
----------------
Carlton watched as Shawn poked around the area surrounding the bush, searching for clues. It didn’t seem to differ from what the Crime Scene Unit did, except that Shawn didn’t have any fancy instruments. He blushed as he found himself admiring the way the younger man moved.
“Checking me out?” Shawn asked suddenly.
Carlton jumped guiltily and changed the subject. “Find anything?”
Shawn grinned knowingly, but didn’t pursue it. “Not much; it could be nothing.”
“It could be something.”
“True. Okay, look over here.”
Walking over, Carlton crouched down next to him by the road. He stared blankly at the pavement. “What am I looking at?”
The pseudo-psychic reached out and swiped his finger through a small puddle of oil. “See this?”
“Yes. Did you have to touch it?” Carlton remarked in disgust.
“Why wouldn’t I? Now see those marks on the ground there?”
“Yes, but what--” He paused, putting two and two together. “There was a car right here.”
“Uh-huh. Recently, too,” Shawn pointed out.
Carlton stood up, observing the scene more carefully. “It was sitting here, and someone was waiting…”
Shawn nodded grimly. “He could have gotten a rabbit, and lured her over-”
“And then driven away…in that direction?”
“Maybe…” Shawn muttered. “If-the stop lights!” he exclaimed.
Carlton’s eyes lit up. “If he went that way, he may have gone through a red light!”
“Sweet! I mean-you know.”
They stared at each other, beaming proudly. Shawn stepped towards Carlton, who moved forward nearly instantaneously to meet him.
“Shawn!” came Juliet’s voice.
They sprang apart, flustered.
Juliet ran up, dragging Gus behind her. “You’re here! Thank goodness!”
“Jules, hey. What’s up?”
Gus glanced at Carlton apologetically while the blond detective babbled to Shawn.
“-So if you could sense her, we could find her and everything would be alright!”
As she paused to take a breath, Shawn bit his lip. He looked from Gus to Lassiter, wondering what to do. Juliet was the only one of them who didn’t know his secret. They both seemed to realize what he was thinking; Gus nodded at him, smiling a little, and after a moment Lassiter bobbed his head as well.
“Uh…Jules…” Shawn started hesitantly.
Something akin to worry flickered in her eyes. “Yeah?”
He fidgeted. “I-uh…I’m sorry…I’m…I’m not a psychic.”
She froze, and stared at him as he explained.
“Jules? Jules, are you okay? Oh, God, please don’t cry. I’m sorry for not telling you before.”
A lone tear coursed down her cheek as her eyes filled. Stricken, she whispered, “But, Annie…”
Gus put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We’ll find her, hon. Shawn may not be a real psychic, but he’s almost as good…better, really. I mean, compare his record to those of some of those self-proclaimed psychics.”
Calming down a bit, Juliet tried a small smile.
“There she is!” Shawn said happily. Bouncing up to her, he hugged her tightly and then jumped back again and bowed with his hands pressed together in front of his chest. “Welcome to the fold.”
Juliet’s smile increased at that, and she turned to the other two men. “So…you already knew?”
They nodded.
Her expression changed to one of puzzlement. “I understand why you would tell Gus, of course, but…no offense, why does he know?” She tilted her head towards Lassiter.
Both the detective and the pseudo-psychic turned slightly red at her question.
“We’re uh…” Shawn started awkwardly.
“Dating,” Lassiter finished for him.
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my…but how--?” she asked, incredulous.
“Actually, we have you to thank for that,” Lassiter told her.
“Me?”
Shawn looked to Gus, asking silently for permission. Getting it, he explained. “On Valentine’s Day, you know all those gifts that showed up on your desk?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, those were from me.”
“I thought they were from Gus…”
Gus shook his head. “I wish. I asked Shawn if I could take responsibility for them.”
Still looking confused, she said, “So…if they were from Shawn, and-” she gasped in realization. “I gave them to Detective Lassiter!”
The three men burst out laughing.
Juliet blushed. “I didn’t know--”
Shawn grinned at her. “And I thank you for that.”
Glancing at his watch, Lassiter said seriously, “Alright, now that we’re all caught up, we need to get back to work.”
After Shawn and Lassiter had explained the situation of having to search separately, and shared what they had found, all four walked up to the police station to check on the traffic cameras.
Juliet sat at the computer while the men stood behind her, watching intently. “Okay, what’s the time frame?” she inquired.
“The egg hunt started at 10 o’clock, and we began rounding up the kids up at approximately 10:15,” Lassiter answered.
Juliet’s fingers flew across the keyboard, and a single result came up. Her hand shaking, she clicked on it.
“Oh my God!”
“It’s her!”
“But he’s wearing a mask!”
“Damn! Check the license plate.”
Zooming in, the blond detective read it out loud. “J-L-K-0-2-5-1.”
Quickly, she entered it into the system. They waited with baited breath as words and faces flickered across the screen. Finally, it stopped.
“Joe Warren,” Gus whispered. “He did do it.”
Shawn furrowed his brow. “Why would he wear a mask?”
“Maybe in case anyone saw him when he grabbed her?” Juliet suggested.
“But he must have known we would have his license plate number,” Lassiter said, catching on to what Shawn was saying.
“Something’s not right here,” the pseudo-psychic agreed slowly.
The four of them exchanged glances.
Gus sighed. “Well, whatever’s going on, I hope Annie is okay.”
“As do we all, I’m sure,” Lassiter responded.
Shawn and Juliet nodded.
-------------------
The room was cold and dark, with only a thin ray of light piercing the blackness. Dust mites swirled lazily in the beam, disappearing along the edges. In the corner, something stirred.
Opening her eyes, the little girl peered at her surroundings in confusion. She squinted, trying to see more. After a few minutes, her vision had adjusted enough that she could tell she was in an unknown place. As her gaze passed over the opposite corner, she thought she saw a dim shape akin to that of a large person.
“Daddy?” she said uncertainly.
The shadow chuckled. “Sorry, Annie. Daddy’s not here right now. It’s just you…and me.”
To Be Continued…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And the plot thickens! Hehe. Sorry if any facts are off. All I know about law/police stuff is what I learn from watching cop shows and reading books. Oh, and I was an explorer for a while at my local police station. Don’t know all the real technical stuff, though. I got the guidelines for using the AMBER Alert from the internet, so parts of Juliet’s dialogue are straight from there. Thanks for all the reviews so far - they always inspire me to write more. :)
Author: g0shawk
Fandom: Psych
Rating: PG13
Characters: Shawn, Lassiter, Jules, Gus, Buzz, Chief Vick, Henry
Pairing: Shawn/Lassiter
Summary: A serial killer is released, and there's an Easter egg hunt at the SBPD. What could go wrong?
Disclaimer: I don't own Psych or its characters, etc.
Notes: This is 3rd in the Unexpected series. Previous stories: Unexpected Valentine and St. Patrick's Day.
Chapter 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The bartender didn’t bother to glance up as the door opened and closed with a slight jangle. “What’ll it be?” he asked disinterestedly.
“Whiskey,” the man responded, sitting at the counter.
When the bartender handed him the glass, the man lifted it in a toast, saying, “Cheers.”
“What for?”
“Hmm, what for? Let’s say to life in general; the unexpected surprises it brings.”
Eyeing him sharply, the bartender said, “You just get out of the big house?”
The man didn’t seem surprised by his question. “Yeah, after four years.”
“Congratulations.”
“You have no idea.”
The bartender gestured to the empty bar. “Not much going on here.”
Something about the man’s answering chuckle caused the bartender to shiver.
“Well, Clint,” he said, peering at the bartender’s nametag. “Since you asked so straightforwardly, I’ll tell you a little more.”
Clint felt himself bristle at the jibe in the man’s voice, but he stayed silent, listening.
“I was not supposed to get out. Seven life sentences with no chance of parole, but, somehow, here I am…legally.”
“Seven life sentences?” Clint whistled.
The man grinned, and downed the rest of his drink.
As Clint filled the glass again for him, the weather report started on the TV, and both men turned to watch.
“It’s a beautiful Easter morning, but enjoy it while you can because---”
“Great,” Clint muttered over the woman speaking. “More rain.”
“I like rain,” the man said lazily. “Good for covering tracks.”
Clint merely grumbled in return, used to having shady characters frequent his bar.
“Who’s that?”
Following his gaze, Clint found it settled on a photograph of a young girl, pinned up on the wall. “That’s my daughter, Sara.”
“Cute.”
Clint froze. There was something in his voice…
“I’d love to meet her,” the man continued in the same tone.
“What did you say you were in for?” Clint asked carefully.
“I didn’t,” he responded, but the answer was written in his eyes.
Clint’s face hardened. “Get out.”
“Excuse me?”
Dropping the towel he had been holding, Clint leaned forward over the counter and said threateningly, “Leave. NOW.”
The man’s eyes met his intelligently.
“Very well.” Standing up, he reached back for his wallet.
“Don’t bother,” Clint gritted. “I don’t want your money.”
Very deliberately, the man opened his wallet, pulled out a few bills, and placed them next to his glass.
Clint clenched his hands into fists.
“Thank you for your service,” the man said mockingly.
Before Clint could reply, he had turned and walked out the door.
“Scum,” the bartender muttered after him.
-------------------
Still at the bush, Shawn and Lassiter turned around as they heard the Chief call them.
“Chief!” Shawn said, interrupting. “I’m getting a very strong reading off of this basket. The spirits are telling me it’s Annie’s-” He stopped, seeing her expression.
“I’m sorry, you’re off the case,” she told them.
“What? Why?” Lassiter exclaimed.
“Carlton, this is a missing persons case. It’s out of our hands.”
“But Chief! It all started here, and if Joe Warren is involved…”
“I know you feel responsible, “ she said quietly. “But you know the protocol. We have to hand it over.”
“What about Shawn?” Lassiter added desperately. “He’s better than any search dog or computer…”
Vick raised her eyebrows. “You’re endorsing him now?”
“I can’t just let this go, Karen. I know he can help.”
She sighed indecisively. “Fine, but you’re on your own. I can’t help you, and if they ask me, I had no idea you were doing this.”
When Lassiter opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand, stopping him.
“Also, if you do find anything helpful, report it. We can’t afford to make mistakes at this point; our top priority is getting Annie back safely.”
Lassiter and Shawn nodded together in agreement. As Vick walked back up to the station, they watched her in silence. The second she disappeared from view, Shawn turned to Lassiter and threw his arms around him. Lassiter staggered backwards a few steps from the impact, lifting his arms out of the way. Recovering, he let his hands settle around Shawn, and he returned the hug. After a moment, he asked, “What’s this for?”
Still holding him tightly, Shawn said, “Just for being you.”
Lassiter smiled, resting his chin on top of Shawn’s head. “Thanks.”
Shawn snuggled closer in response.
“We should get back to work,” Lassiter sighed regretfully.
“M-kay,” Shawn mumbled.
Lassiter waited. “Shawn?”
“Mhmm?”
“Shawn.”
The younger man didn’t move. Lassiter lifted his arms again. When nothing changed, Lassiter muttered, “Alright, you asked for it.” Sneaking a hand down, he jabbed Shawn’s side with his finger.
“Gah!” Shawn shouted, leaping back. He mock-glared at Lassiter. “That tickled!”
“Oh, really?” Lassiter said innocently. “Sorry.”
“If you wanted me to let go, all you had to do was ask.”
“Well, I’ll remember that next time…maybe.”
Huffing, Shawn stalked off indignantly towards the road.
Lassiter grinned. “Where are you going?”
“I’m following an astral trail!” Shawn yelled back.
The older man rolled his eyes.
“I saw that!”
-----------------
“Who are they?” Gus asked, nudging Juliet.
She turned in her chair to look just as a group of people in suits walked by, carrying various pieces of equipment. “Oh, it must be the FBI. I guess they’re here to take over.”
“Take over? Why?”
Juliet sighed. “We can’t deal with missing people unless it’s directly related to a homicide case, and even then we have to call them. Since Joe Warren was released legally, we have no say.”
“Who is Joe Warren, exactly? I’ve heard some people talking, but I don’t know much.”
“Well, I actually only know what I’ve heard, too. I was still in Miami when he came into the picture. Apparently, he’s a serial killer who dealt exclusively with children.” She made a face. “Anyway, he managed to elude the police for months, until someone saw him and called in. Nearly every officer here went to get him, and they ended up cornering him in a warehouse only a couple of blocks from here, near where he lived. He received seven life sentences, though he probably killed more than that; the prosecution offered him a deal if he would tell them the names of all his victims, but he didn’t take it. David Marshak was actually the prosecutor who helped convict him.”
“Dang,” Gus said, wide-eyed. “The missing girl’s father is the one that put him in jail?”
“Yeah,” she affirmed.
Gus shook his head in amazement. “No wonder everyone’s so worried.”
Juliet agreed, and stood up from her desk. “Can you help me with these?” she asked, gesturing to two large boxes of papers.
“Sure.”
Picking up a box each, they headed down the hallway. As they passed the Chief’s office, Gus paused momentarily, looking at the group of people inside.
“Gus?” When she saw that he was no longer following her, Juliet backtracked to join him.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” he said curiously.
Juliet watched with him, wondering the same thing. “They’re probably deciding what to do about Annie and Warren.”
“Have they put out an AMBER Alert?”
“I don’t think so…at least, not yet. They could be discussing that.”
Interested, Gus turned back to her. “How does that work? Are there some sort of conditions, or is it just used any time there’s a missing kid?”
“Finally, a question I can answer,” Juliet grinned at him.
He smiled sheepishly back at her.
“Alright,” she started. “There are four basic guidelines set by the Department of Justice.” Adjusting her grip on the box, she tilted her head in the direction they had been going. As they began to walk again, she continued, “First, we have to confirm that an abduction has taken place.”
“That makes sense,” Gus said. “We’ve done that, right?”
Juliet nodded. “We searched around the station, and we know she isn’t with family or friends. Second, the child has to be 17 years old or younger. Third, there has to be sufficient descriptive information of the child, the captor, or the captor’s vehicle-”
Gus laughed, distracting her.
“What?” she asked.
“You sound like you memorized the manual.” Seeing her expression, he said, “Wait, you--oh.” He tried to keep a straight face, but failed and broke out laughing again.
Juliet squinted her eyes at him threateningly. “If I weren’t holding this I would smack you.”
“Sorry. So, what’s the fourth?” When she hesitated, he prompted, “Juliet?”
“The-” she took a deep breath. “The fourth is…the child must be at risk of…serious injury or-or death.”
Arriving at the file room, they stood silently for a moment. Gus opened the door and set down his box. “Do you think she’ll be okay?” he inquired solemnly.
Juliet filed the box away, and then did the same for the one Gus had carried in. Turning back, she said sadly, “I don’t know. There’s usually a 48-hour window, but in this case…”
Crossing over to her, Gus took hold of her hands. “If there’s anything I can do to help-”
She smiled gratefully at him. “I don’t think-wait!”
“What?” he asked, surprised.
“Shawn! Shawn could help!” she said excitedly. “He could sense her or something!”
Gus’ face fell. “Uh…”
Not noticing his reaction, she started pulling him out the door. “We have to find him!”
----------------
Carlton watched as Shawn poked around the area surrounding the bush, searching for clues. It didn’t seem to differ from what the Crime Scene Unit did, except that Shawn didn’t have any fancy instruments. He blushed as he found himself admiring the way the younger man moved.
“Checking me out?” Shawn asked suddenly.
Carlton jumped guiltily and changed the subject. “Find anything?”
Shawn grinned knowingly, but didn’t pursue it. “Not much; it could be nothing.”
“It could be something.”
“True. Okay, look over here.”
Walking over, Carlton crouched down next to him by the road. He stared blankly at the pavement. “What am I looking at?”
The pseudo-psychic reached out and swiped his finger through a small puddle of oil. “See this?”
“Yes. Did you have to touch it?” Carlton remarked in disgust.
“Why wouldn’t I? Now see those marks on the ground there?”
“Yes, but what--” He paused, putting two and two together. “There was a car right here.”
“Uh-huh. Recently, too,” Shawn pointed out.
Carlton stood up, observing the scene more carefully. “It was sitting here, and someone was waiting…”
Shawn nodded grimly. “He could have gotten a rabbit, and lured her over-”
“And then driven away…in that direction?”
“Maybe…” Shawn muttered. “If-the stop lights!” he exclaimed.
Carlton’s eyes lit up. “If he went that way, he may have gone through a red light!”
“Sweet! I mean-you know.”
They stared at each other, beaming proudly. Shawn stepped towards Carlton, who moved forward nearly instantaneously to meet him.
“Shawn!” came Juliet’s voice.
They sprang apart, flustered.
Juliet ran up, dragging Gus behind her. “You’re here! Thank goodness!”
“Jules, hey. What’s up?”
Gus glanced at Carlton apologetically while the blond detective babbled to Shawn.
“-So if you could sense her, we could find her and everything would be alright!”
As she paused to take a breath, Shawn bit his lip. He looked from Gus to Lassiter, wondering what to do. Juliet was the only one of them who didn’t know his secret. They both seemed to realize what he was thinking; Gus nodded at him, smiling a little, and after a moment Lassiter bobbed his head as well.
“Uh…Jules…” Shawn started hesitantly.
Something akin to worry flickered in her eyes. “Yeah?”
He fidgeted. “I-uh…I’m sorry…I’m…I’m not a psychic.”
She froze, and stared at him as he explained.
“Jules? Jules, are you okay? Oh, God, please don’t cry. I’m sorry for not telling you before.”
A lone tear coursed down her cheek as her eyes filled. Stricken, she whispered, “But, Annie…”
Gus put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "We’ll find her, hon. Shawn may not be a real psychic, but he’s almost as good…better, really. I mean, compare his record to those of some of those self-proclaimed psychics.”
Calming down a bit, Juliet tried a small smile.
“There she is!” Shawn said happily. Bouncing up to her, he hugged her tightly and then jumped back again and bowed with his hands pressed together in front of his chest. “Welcome to the fold.”
Juliet’s smile increased at that, and she turned to the other two men. “So…you already knew?”
They nodded.
Her expression changed to one of puzzlement. “I understand why you would tell Gus, of course, but…no offense, why does he know?” She tilted her head towards Lassiter.
Both the detective and the pseudo-psychic turned slightly red at her question.
“We’re uh…” Shawn started awkwardly.
“Dating,” Lassiter finished for him.
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my…but how--?” she asked, incredulous.
“Actually, we have you to thank for that,” Lassiter told her.
“Me?”
Shawn looked to Gus, asking silently for permission. Getting it, he explained. “On Valentine’s Day, you know all those gifts that showed up on your desk?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, those were from me.”
“I thought they were from Gus…”
Gus shook his head. “I wish. I asked Shawn if I could take responsibility for them.”
Still looking confused, she said, “So…if they were from Shawn, and-” she gasped in realization. “I gave them to Detective Lassiter!”
The three men burst out laughing.
Juliet blushed. “I didn’t know--”
Shawn grinned at her. “And I thank you for that.”
Glancing at his watch, Lassiter said seriously, “Alright, now that we’re all caught up, we need to get back to work.”
After Shawn and Lassiter had explained the situation of having to search separately, and shared what they had found, all four walked up to the police station to check on the traffic cameras.
Juliet sat at the computer while the men stood behind her, watching intently. “Okay, what’s the time frame?” she inquired.
“The egg hunt started at 10 o’clock, and we began rounding up the kids up at approximately 10:15,” Lassiter answered.
Juliet’s fingers flew across the keyboard, and a single result came up. Her hand shaking, she clicked on it.
“Oh my God!”
“It’s her!”
“But he’s wearing a mask!”
“Damn! Check the license plate.”
Zooming in, the blond detective read it out loud. “J-L-K-0-2-5-1.”
Quickly, she entered it into the system. They waited with baited breath as words and faces flickered across the screen. Finally, it stopped.
“Joe Warren,” Gus whispered. “He did do it.”
Shawn furrowed his brow. “Why would he wear a mask?”
“Maybe in case anyone saw him when he grabbed her?” Juliet suggested.
“But he must have known we would have his license plate number,” Lassiter said, catching on to what Shawn was saying.
“Something’s not right here,” the pseudo-psychic agreed slowly.
The four of them exchanged glances.
Gus sighed. “Well, whatever’s going on, I hope Annie is okay.”
“As do we all, I’m sure,” Lassiter responded.
Shawn and Juliet nodded.
-------------------
The room was cold and dark, with only a thin ray of light piercing the blackness. Dust mites swirled lazily in the beam, disappearing along the edges. In the corner, something stirred.
Opening her eyes, the little girl peered at her surroundings in confusion. She squinted, trying to see more. After a few minutes, her vision had adjusted enough that she could tell she was in an unknown place. As her gaze passed over the opposite corner, she thought she saw a dim shape akin to that of a large person.
“Daddy?” she said uncertainly.
The shadow chuckled. “Sorry, Annie. Daddy’s not here right now. It’s just you…and me.”
To Be Continued…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And the plot thickens! Hehe. Sorry if any facts are off. All I know about law/police stuff is what I learn from watching cop shows and reading books. Oh, and I was an explorer for a while at my local police station. Don’t know all the real technical stuff, though. I got the guidelines for using the AMBER Alert from the internet, so parts of Juliet’s dialogue are straight from there. Thanks for all the reviews so far - they always inspire me to write more. :)